Remix
by Stop-n-Pop on Feb 12, 2011 7:32 AM CST
Email
PrintMany moons ago we used to do game wraps after the box score and popcorn game flow were released. I figured it was high time to try that out once again.
Last night the Wolves played an entertaining yet somehow still predictable game against the Indiana Pacers. Entertaining in the sense that lots of points were scored, Jonny Flynn found new and amazing ways to display his negative brilliance; and predictable, in that the team was once again torched by a marginal wing player while losing the game down the stretch.
Once again, the Wolves played without Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Darko Milicic, and Luke Ridnour. Once again, the Wolves looked exactly like the Wolves without Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Darko Milicic, and Luke Ridnour.
In Shooter's latest column he quotes Glen Taylor as saying that David Kahn went out and got the players that Kurt Rambis wanted. At first I thought this was simply a shot across the bow of SS Rambis, but after thinking about it, I think it says more about a lack of faith in the abilities of a guy who allowed himself to get bullied into moves by a coach and then blame said coach when things go poorly with the club than it does about the guy getting the same results out of a diminished roster as he did with the whole caboodle.
Anywho, the Second Verse, Same as the First Wolves took the court against the Pacers and were able to pull off the following items of note:
- The teams engaged in dual 8-1 runs within the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half. The Wolves completed theirs in 3:19 while the Pacers got the duty done in less than 3 minutes flat.
- The Pacers bookended the 4th quarter with 14-4 and 12-2 runs.
- Dahntay Jones outscored the Wolves 19-15 in the 4th quarter. He was +18 with a 100% eFG. He could not be contained. He was primarily matched up against Lazar Hayward and Wayne Ellington. Wes Johnson and Corey Brewer were apparently being rested.
- Tyler Hansborough was the only Pacer with a negative +/-. I know it's a small sample size, but the guy looked terrible out there. Grabby, elbowy, pokey, shovey, and not very basketbally.
- The Pacers got to the line at a better rate, shot a better eFG, and turned it over at a lesser rate than Our Beloved Puppies. That's not going to win the good guys many games. The Wolves were able to keep things close because of their proficiency on the offensive glass, collecting 20 of their 44 boards on the offensive end of the court. Of course, this meant a lot of close range misses, but it also meant a lot of close range 2nd chance makes and extended possessions.
- Wayne Ellington and Lazar Hayward were 11-26 from the floor last night. Jonny Flynn and Wes Johnson were 4-15. The Late 1st Duo played significantly more minutes than the Syracuse Lotto Duo. At the cliched end of the day, and despite any feelings towards the guy who made the picks, the fact that the team was able to find similar performers with picks near the end of the 1st round as they did with the #4 and #6 picks in the lottery is what is going to set this team back in a bad, bad way. Typically, you don't want to see your favorite team use multiple lottery picks for backup players. That's what the end of the 1st round and the 2nd round is for. At least Kahn seems to have 1/2 of that equation down. Look on the bright side of things, David Kahn was able to find someone with the 28th pick that plays just as well as a #4 pick. Plus, they're both the same age! Double bonus.
- Wayne Ellington has now passed Darko Milicic in the Win Share column. He has done so in just less than 1/2 of Darko's minutes. Wayne doesn't block shots, however. Wayne is the team's biggest positive over the past few games. He has been a blast to watch and if there has been any internal player development going on with the NBA Leaders In Player Development, it is with the play of Mr. Ellington...over a very small sample size, of course.
- Kurt Rambis has now coached the 4th most games in franchise history. He is 8 games short of reaching the number of contests afforded to Randy Wittman. His average record compared to .500 is -39.5. He has a .207 winning percentage. He is 28-107 and has a very legitimate shot of losing more than 100 games than he has won by the end of this season. Now think of any sort of meaningful metric used to judge GM performance. Now tell yourself that Kahn is his equal. Now imagine that they might get to determine what happens during yet another off season for everybody's favorite ball club. Sorry, I know it's repetitive but they it cannot be repeated enough. They're awful and they do the fan base of this team a disservice with nearly everything they do. They are quite possibly the worst coach and GM this franchise has ever had and they are operating together as a team....at the same time.
- The double/double streak continues.
111 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Maybe this should be saved for Feel Good Friday but...
They are quite possibly the worst coach and GM this franchise has ever had and they are operating together as a team….at the same time.
Operating as a team…at the same time…when talking about the Wolves. That must be positive direction. Right?
Timberwolves' record: Undefeated (5-11, if you go by so-called "Advanced Stats")
I do sympathize with Kahn to the extent...
….that I’m fairly certain he knows he needs to make a big move but probably isn’t going to be allowed to. That sucks.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
I sympathize with Kahn
to the extent his lottery picks have just not panned out and helped the team at all in the short term. Except for the fact that I loathed those picks as soon as he made them, except Rubio. So I sympathize with Kahn over the Rubio situation and I despise him for the Flynn and Johnson picks, which are the reason this team has made no progress. So in sum, my contempt for Kahn outweighs my sympathy by a wide margin. So I contemptuously sympathize with Kahn or I sympathetically despise him. One or the other.
The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness
by Victor Mature on Feb 12, 2011 8:15 AM CST up reply actions
It's hard to figure out sometimes
;)
On one hand, I feel for the guy because he’s so completely in over his head it’s hard not to be sympathetic. On the other, he controls my favorite team and he’s driving it into the ditch.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
We really seemed to be in control
until the forth. When we refused to change our line up which was ineffective offensively and defensively. I don’t think the line up changed significantly until the last 5 minutes, but Indiana already had all the momentum, enthusiasm and crowd support so it was already curtains. For me, that ruined the game.
I recall the preseason games against Indiana and, kind of set them as a measure of our teams performance as their team, or performances seem slightly better but attainable.
In terms of the team overall, I’m still in the “let them develop camp,” which is almost entirely a mental device to enjoy watching the team.
I've always wondered if the team...
….would cross the line into marketing coping mechanisms for its remaining fan base. They got close with the “Re-re-re-re-re-rebuilding” campaign, but that’s as far as they went.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
After the Krause blew up the Bulls...
The marketing slogan was, wait for it…
“Because It’s A Great Game”
Essentially saying, we just drafted Eddy Curry #2, we know we suck, but good players from other teams are in our building most of the time. That is rock bottom. I guess if we get a Derrick Rose in 5 years it will all work out.
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
Our new slogan could be:
“We’re better than the Washington Generals”
Someone mentioned in the game thread that we have 10 rotation players. I pretty much agree, and it’s something that’s been commented on here before. Basically we recruited a bunch of guys with potential and Rambis is giving them all a run in the hope one will emerge. The Pacers’ commentator even observed that we use more players in our rotations compared to other teams.
I guess Rambis could’ve approached it differently, by shorting the rotations and using different players in different games. But that’s just me being captain hindsight.
Contrary to the remix theme
I thought that Rambis needed to bring in the Syracuse duo and Brewer earlier if the game was to be won, and didn’t. I really like what Ellington has done lately, and always appreciate the effect of dribble driving on the TWolf offense, but when the Pacers switched to theie end game rotation, the Late First rounders couldn’t hold serve.
Why didn’t Rambis react?
Another developmental year?
The game was available, the coach didn’t attempt to take it, IMO.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
Well, one half of the "Syracuse duo"
racked up four fouls in fifteen minutes. However, his complete ineffectiveness on defense was offset and then some by the four points he piled up, on 2 for 7 shooting.
And the other half is Jonny Flynn.
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Relatively speaking
Wes can shoot, And we couldn’t score
Brewer can defend, and we couldn’t hold
AND
they are a little loner and more athletic, which, everything else being equal, counts for something.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 11:13 AM CST up reply actions
i 100% agree
and strangely, i was hoping to see the same thing last night. you could just feel we were outmatched. it’s not that our bench was doing a bad job (they were great), we just needed to bring in the starters to seal the deal.
i’m not saying that we would have won, and we would probably be complaining if rambis did make the switch and we still lost.
Ellington has shown some good skills of late
And Hayward looked good on offense last night. And passing, with the exception of our point guards, was pretty crisp throughout most of the game.
Watching Jones go off like a box of roman candles, even when Brewer was switched onto him, was like reliving a scene from “The Shining” over and over again. Put succinctly, we suck on defense and what minute improvements have been made this season to rectify that situation are barely noticeable!
As to the future, we are like a drunken gambler who doesn’t have any hole cards, we are betting solely on the come!
"Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Plato
Pek looked confident
Pekovic looked confident out there last night. I liked his two handed dunk and I liked the way he played under the rim.
On an odd note, if you combine Pek’s and KK’s stats together:
39 minutes played, 24 points, 10 out of 14 shooting, 4 of 5 from the line and 12 rebounds.
by WeDraftedPooh on Feb 12, 2011 8:57 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I hadn't realized their numbers were that good,
but this was the best game I’ve seen either of them play so far, and they mostly held Hibbert in check, which was a pleasant suprise.
"Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Plato
They were solid
I thought Pekovic did a great job pushing Hibbert out of the post. Hibbert was getting so frustrated by his inability to establish good post position. Pek so effing strong.
by Rascal Flatts on Feb 12, 2011 9:08 AM CST up reply actions
Man, I just don't know what to make of Roy Hibbert.
He had 20 and 29 points in the previous two games, had a string of double-digit scoring games and a very respectable rebound stretch going.
The Indiana Pacers in general seem pretty shapeless to me.
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Do you suppose that this sort of game
might influence Rambis’ thinking about running everything through the Great Enigma? It sure seemed, based on this tiny sample, that the team was more efficient with perimeter passing, guard penetration and pick and rolls than doing the Darko dump!
"Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Plato
totally agree
The passing and everything in the offensive flow has improved.
The Darko dump could then just be occasionally to mix things up.
However, is it just because we have changed what we are doing the past 3 games
and the other teams did not adjust to it (element of surprise)?
Ellington looks so confident in his handle and shot now. I hope that continues.
"You got alotta Flubber, but I love you brother!"
When Stanley Roberts dunked on Luc Longley and the Wolves defeated the Bulls for the first time. (1997-1998)
I agree that something should, in theory, make him rethink Darko
But no, I think he’s too stubborn to change.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
I still feel Darko is a great pickup
but I’m always baffled by his usage. It’s like having mutombo say, “I can play for your team, and improve it on defense, but I’ve always pictures myself as sort of like KG, offensively. I mean, we’re both tall.”
Yeah, Darko improves the defense (against strong bigs), but having the offense run through him is leads to the more traditional “united we stand” than any other slogan the team comes up with.
by midlife crisis on Feb 12, 2011 10:42 AM CST up reply actions
In hindsight...
….that Darko quote where he talks about only coming back if he’s certain he’s a starter is probably the point where the relationship with this team should have ended. I like the idea of Darko being a defensive minded center who can compliment Love, but I just don’t think he has the mind to make it work. I didn’t get that at the start of the year or even at the signing. They didn’t overpay with the contract and he’s not a bad backup, but he views himself in a way that just isn’t going to work out for this team.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
ARE YOU SURE
That that was the quote?
I seem to recall it being more like I want to be ‘Part of the plan’ rather
than ‘I have to start’.
Of course, maybe those two statements mean the same thing to you during
your current THEME.
Or maybe I am wrong.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 4:26 PM CST up reply actions
Spot on
This is exactly what was said at the time. Worse, we are continuing to honor the commitment. After a nice week of Wolves play, the Wolves ruined it by leaving a message a pre-recorded Kurt Rambis voicemail on my phone asking me to come back as a season ticket holder. There was a lot on there that could be fodder, but the highlight has to be “we now have exciting young players to build around such as Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Darko Milicic and Wes Johnson.”. WTF? They also continued to sell that they are a fan friendly up tempo team, which i think is the number one reason we lose a lot of winnable games.
No, I have not attended a game since the Atlanta game, which was like the third game of the season.
This team is slowly marching toward the precipice.
Yep
If Darko could accept a low-usage, defensive-oriented role, I think he could be a tolerable backup/rotation big. As it is though, he’s a complete abomination by having so many possessions run through such an inefficient, turnover-prone player.
by WolvesFan03 on Feb 12, 2011 10:53 AM CST up reply actions
maybe pek has some upside.
He’’s not getting called for 3 seconds very often, so he’s learned something there. Now he’s continuing his moving pick bad habits, not getting called much for it but drifting away from the basket and away from the area he should be in for a strong roll to the hoop. Once he just sets the darn pick and rolls, assuming there’s a guard to give it to him, he’ll get a lot of easy points. Of course, the coach has to give the go-ahead for the pick and roll. The shot chart shows no inside game, other than the Darko solo move in the post.
Somehow the T-wolves need a point who is not going to crumble-retreat under intense defensive pressure, which most opposing teams, especially playoff teams, can bring on at any time. Elllington can’t do it. Neither can Bassy or Jonny. Marbury could do it. So could Cassell. Until we get someone who can use the defender’s quickness against him, we’ll be watching lots more rock-pounding, clock-killing point guard play. No penetration, no pick and roll, no mid-range jumpers (which Sam could deliver as well as anyone). Probably the only hope is Rubio. Team USA players, who are the best of the best, said they could not take the ball away from him or pressure him into turnovers. Steve Nash is ideal, of course, but he won’t want to play in Minnesota.
Pek is going to be a good center
He certainly is still adapting to the NBA game. I like to think that Laimbeer is helping him to attain his full potential.
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 12, 2011 9:34 AM CST up reply actions
I would like to think that even if Laimbeer is an a-hole
… that he could be our coach in the future. I hate when our best coach is an assistant (perfected by the vikings)
by midlife crisis on Feb 12, 2011 10:17 AM CST up reply actions
Pekovic is the player who I have the most hope for in terms of internal improvement
He’s struggled with turnovers and fouls, but he’s only played 500 minutes this year, and I think there’s some chance he gets those things under control with time. He’s an efficient scorer, has the second-best FTA rate on the team, and looks to be at least competent in the post defensively (absent the fouls). I think he’s already a better option at center than Darko.
For all the talk about Ellington, he’s a guy who ended up shooting 6-15 last night, doesn’t get to the line, and whose statistical profile is almost identical to Wesley Johnson, which is a bad, bad thing. They are both bad, below-average wings. I don’t have a lot of hope for either of them, unfortunately.
by WolvesFan03 on Feb 12, 2011 10:30 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
This is why I still don't mind the Darko deal
It gives Pekovic cover for a couple of years to learn the NBA game. Then when Pek is ready to take over, Darko is in the last year of his deal and probably a movable asset, or at least an expiring contract who is a worthy 15 MPG backup to Pek.
by Rumblebee on Feb 12, 2011 12:21 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
So much negativity
It was a tough loss last night but damn based on this writeup you would think that we are the Cleveland Cavaliers or something. (I watched the end of the cavs game last night and their arena was going crazy. It was like they won the championship.) We aren’t in that territory.
I read Taylor’s comments about Kahn getting the players that Rambis wanted differently. I always wondered how the wolves were able to get Rambis to be the head coach when he had the Lakers job. It makes sense now, Kahn and Taylor must have promised him that they would shape the team to be what he wanted. We have been blaming Kahn for the personnel moves but this comment clearly indicates that Rambis is far more involved in personnel decisions than we previously thought. It makes sense, Kahn is a numbers guy, as he himself has said. So he is probably just the deal-maker and Rambis has an active hand in deciding what the deals are. Darko is all Rambis, Wes is all Rambis.
We simply can’t judge Wes for another year or two, probably the same with Beasley, Pek, and even Darko. It is frustrating because there are no quick fixes for this team.
That being said, I have seen improvement throughout this year. Their record doesn’t show it, but they have been getting better. On that note, one thing that never gets talked about is how damn good the league is right now. Look at the Western conference, There are ten legit playoff caliber teams. Even the Clippers are as good as they have been in years, maybe ever. The league is just stacked with talent right now. Even the wolves, one of the worst teams in the league have an all-star.
In terms of the wolves’ future I think Kevin Love said it best in his most recent GQ blog post, “the cornerstones of this franchise are already here. And we’re only going to get better…One big factor in our future is Ricky Rubio…for us to move 100 percent forward, something needs to happen with him soon.” It is pointless to talk about Rubio as our savior (he can’t even get on the court for Barca right now) but Love’s point is that it is equally pointless to talk about the wolves without talking about Rubio.
I just patently disagree with labeling this team and its management an abject failure right now. In my opinion we have seen enough to believe that this team has a bright future. Will that come to fruition? We can’t know that. But why preclude the possibility?
The league is stacked but
too bad there’s no parity. Not so much fun to know that only 3-4 teams have a chance at winning the whole thing.
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 12, 2011 9:37 AM CST up reply actions
After all..
…man hasn’t truly flown until he’s landed, right? Or crashed. You are right to be optimistic; they’re still technically flying.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
BTW
Those lucky Cleveland fans are there because they had to buy season tickets for this season before The Decision went down. Maybe if Glen opened up his very own predatory mortgage company he could learn a thing or two about suckering people into the building to watch a bad product. Are there any homeless guys near the Target Center that could be the voice of the team?
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
Ask around Mankato
to see if Glen issues all corporate memos in Comic Sans font.
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Thats one way to look at it...
Another way to look at it is that I personally have had $50 seats for $15 a seat for this year and next. I’m getting alot of enjoyment out of my seats and was AMAZED that the pricing was the same for next year.
Funny…..I dont feel like a sucker.
But you realize that
1-the price has been changed (decreased) to reflect the value customers have placed on the product being offered
&
2- the franchise is not long term viable at those price points
I really don’t want to be an a town without NBA basketball. But just how long does Papa Glen lose $15-20M per year before he sells/gives up?
I hate to say this, but I would be much happier paying $125/seat for my season tickets watching competitive/winning basketball than I am paying $50/seat the last 2 years for what I have been watching.
Is he still losing that much?
Given the giant decline in payroll from last year to this year, I have to believe the team isn’t losing nearly as much. It isn’t as if the Target Center was packed last year. The new CBA should make operating a team like the Wolves even more financially tenable.
Two things I think are hurting the Wolves financial status
(and they’re both guesses):
1. Maybe the same ticket #s sold are the same as in previous years, but much less revenue per seat.
2. Glen’s other businesses don’t throw off an excess cash flow that can subsidize the team’s losses, as well as create a need for potentially tax-deductible losses.
That’s part of the attraction of Rubio for them: Exciting, inexpensive, and young. The potential combination of more wins and more tickets makes him so tantalizing.
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Missing my point....
I think all of us would rather pay more and watch wins. The point I’m trying to make is that someone talked about how Glen is just hosing everyone and taking all our money. I will admit that Kahns first year and what they did to that roster and the price they charged for tix was wrong. We got screwed as fans as they didnt even try. But I feel that the last 2 years they have made up for that with the pricing. And yes…the pricing is reflective of the wins. (I actually think the pricing is better than the wins and the games have been very entertaining).
Who talked about how Glen is hosing everyone?
You just made that up.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
also in the same vein
hasn’t team shooting percentages gone way up the last few years?
[deleted after giving it further thought]
Not really.
Complete Timberwolves list o’ seasons, with Shooting percentage over on the right.
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Perfectly stated
There is a bitterness here by an alliance of posters who didn’t get their way as “fans” in the draft. And of course we know the fans of a team are right and people who have played worked and coached in the NBA for years are mindless baffoons.
So they take screen shots of game situations to help serve their points, like blaming the coach recently for a normal substitution (starters with starters) which “led” to a 6-2 run.
Or stating as a definitive point that the usage of Ellington and Hayward last night in the fourth quarter makes them equivalent players to lottery pick players and that reflects why the franchise will never go anywhere.
I guess the fact that Jones (who was not in the Pacer rotation two weeks ago), scoring 19 in the fourth last night should indicate the same about the Pacers. Didn’t Love say last night, these are NBA players and anybody has the ability to go off. The measure between lottery picks (many of which I concede don’t work out), and later picks or free agents (many of which do blossom) is consistancy over time. And amazingly their usage rates in college aren’t always indicitive of later success or failure.
But time unfortunately is not something many a frustrated, bitter poster is willing to afford either the players, the coaches or the management. So much more gratifying and cathartic to be sarcastic and caustic.
And since it’s more difficult to blame Kahn for the talent on the team the jump moves to the fact that he was “bullied” by the coach. It gets humorous after a while.
You are right about this group needing time. And the possibility exists that the talent is right and the coach is wrong. But if we look at what these guys individually and collectively have done positively instead of taking a snap shot every time a player fails or a coach’s decision can be questioned, there’s a heck of a lot to be encouaged about.
by Tangerine dream on Feb 12, 2011 2:20 PM CST up reply actions
You really aren't paying attention to the arguments being made on this site.
Point me to the posts where someone’s saying
the usage of Ellington and Hayward last night in the fourth quarter makes them equivalent players to lottery pick players
or
since it’s more difficult to blame Kahn for the talent on the team
Whatever lens you’re seeing things through, it’s focusing at the wrong point.
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Read
" The Late 1st Duo played significantly more minutes than the Syracuse Lotto Duo. At the cliched end of the day, and despite any feelings towards the guy who made the picks, the fact that the team was able to find similar performers with picks near the end of the 1st round as they did with the #4 and #6 picks in the lottery is what is going to set this team back in a bad, bad way. "
by Tangerine dream on Feb 12, 2011 4:33 PM CST up reply actions
Try reading it again.
Saying that Ellington and Hayward were playing against lottery picks does not make them “equivalent to lottery pick players.” The other bit is an argument about how bad the lottery picks were; what you said has exactly the opposite bent.
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Conversely
the lottery picks are claimed to be only as good as the late first rounders.
Despite them not returning until the game was lost.
When sabre fave KLove has 6 and 8 after 3 periods, he rightly goes back in at crunch time.
Wes Johnson’s ability to get off a shot was badly needed in the 4th last night, regardless of his prior play in the game.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 4:34 PM CST up reply actions
Since Taylor
Announced Rambis was involved with the selection of talent it’s more difficult to blame Kahn. That’s a fact.
by Tangerine dream on Feb 12, 2011 4:35 PM CST up reply actions
If you want to make this argument, at least talk about Ronzone too.
Kahn is directly responsible for both hires, however, so your “fact” is relying on a lack of context.
(When people say “It’s a fact,” hide your wallet. When they say “Honestly,” hide your wallet. One doesn’t usually have to preface things with “It’s true” unless that’s in some question.)
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Kahn is directly responsible for both hires
Is that a fact? If you knew one iota about the inner workings of an NBA front office, which you demonstrate every time you write that you don’t, you’d know the owner is also heavily involved in the hiring of the coach. So is Kahn directly responsible for the hire? Is that a fact? Listen I know my posts are too “cobbled” lmfao for you to follow so why don’t you stop stalking and tie your dingy elsewhere. You are truley a loyal minion, I’d rank you top three, (but that’s just the eye test, we will need data to know for sure) but your complete lack of objectivity rely makes anything you write henceforth irrevevant to me.
You’ve decided to make this very personal and frankly the name calling, condescending tone and efforts to engage others in your responses to me have worn thin. So take your shallow frustrated jock perspective elsewhere and chill on the stalking. There’s nothing on which we agree. My posts don’t make sense to you, I see why. Nothing else to discuss buddy. Though your spelling corrections are forever welcome.
by Tangerine dream on Feb 13, 2011 10:03 AM CST up reply actions
Again, what the heck are you reading?
Um, leveling the charge of being a “loyal minion” on me is just lashing out at nothing in particular.
Name calling. Where is that?
You’re begging to be ignored, and I can oblige that wish.
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
Not one thing I have ever said to you even came close to the bile of this one post.
You are one seriously small individual. There. Is that enough name calling for you?
"Those things about which we cannot theorize, we must narrate." – Umberto Eco
What I can confirm is
Sorry this is unrelated to this thread.
I know this I posted this in a fan shot, but in case you don’t read that.
I have reason to believe there could be and would be traction to the Nash rumor.
Again, I witnessed this in person last season.
What I can definitely say is that Steve and Glen must have a close relationship.
I promise I am not making this up.
Not sure why I saw this and what it means, but last season (fall of 2009) before a game, I caught a glimpse of them embracing/hugging, for at least 5-7 seconds. In fact it was so strange that I couldn’t believe my eyes. Not the usual hand shake and quick hug that guys do. They hugged and gazed at each other and it was mutual and genuine. Bizarre.
Is Steve on the Players Association?
We know Glen is head of the Owners group.
All I know is I walked away from that game wondering what was up with that unusual hug?
"You got alotta Flubber, but I love you brother!"
When Stanley Roberts dunked on Luc Longley and the Wolves defeated the Bulls for the first time. (1997-1998)
It's not gay if you don't make eye contact
But seriously, I would love for Nash to come here and mentor Rubio. After he’s done here we could trade him to a contender or he could just sign at one. I still think he has quite a few years left in him.
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 12, 2011 9:39 AM CST up reply actions
As many potential issues as a Nash trade has
if that’s the singular move, it’s still a million times better (in my opinion) than trading for that stiff Anthony “I Can’t Beat Out Mozgov for Minutes” Randolph
Everything in the computer need my face on it. Mega Gigabytes, son!
How can you judge the merits of a trade
before knowing what the Wolves would give up in return?
Kevin Love is not the problem.
It's a talent of mine.
In all seriousness, you’re right. If the Wolves give up Love, Beasley, Wayne or Rubio to acquire Nash, then that’s a terrible move. On the other hand, if they give up other pieces (that make sense) and/or maybe the Memphis pick, I like that deal.
Conversely, I think giving up anything of value for Randolph (even Brewer or the Memphis pick) is just a waste of resources.
So, I guess I’m judging the player we’re getting in return and hoping that the front office won’t sell the farm for either one.
Everything in the computer need my face on it. Mega Gigabytes, son!
A low-first round pick,
in a bad draft, made by the Wolves?
Is this really and “asset” by any definition?
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Sure it is. The Wolves got Lazar and Wayne with low-first round picks
in bad drafts. =)
Everything in the computer need my face on it. Mega Gigabytes, son!
Besides, what's the rookie salary scale for a late first-round pick?
Randolph will get 2.9 million next year. The money savings alone is enough to avoid Randolph in my opinion.
That being said, if Randolph does join the Wolves, he’ll instantly become one of my favorite 14 or 15 players in the NBA.
Everything in the computer need my face on it. Mega Gigabytes, son!
And nice try
sneaking “Wayne” into the list of players who shouldn’t be traded for Nash . . .
Kevin Love is not the problem.
The same coach last season decided Darko was even less deserving of minutes without
A’mare on the roster. And Randolph, unlike Darko, has shown himself to be an above average as recently as last season
I don't want to trade for Darko either
Everything in the computer need my face on it. Mega Gigabytes, son!
If only McHale were still here
I see Bill Duffy is Nash’s agent. That always worked out well for the Wolves with that combo.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
although..
…duffy did transfer to santa clara where he roomed with kurt rambis….so who knows? btw, it is almost comical how inbred the nba front office/agent world is.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
Londale Theus
Please tell me he’s related to Reggie. They both act:
Jolly Spight wins the best name award.
That's Mr. Downer to you.
www.canishoopus.com
They are cousins
This is Londale’s son Londale!
http://www.nmstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1900&ATCLID=657417
I have no idea what we're yelling about!
Nash
I don’t really understand the blowback on this buzz, he definitely has 3 more years of quality playing left in him and THIS GUY IS A CULTURE CHANGER, a future HOF’er still at the top of his game… i say go for it with an all-in but the Rubio/Kevin Love/2011 1st sink.
Ideal pickup? No, not even close…but seriously, aren’t we all just sick of the losing?
one thing in regards to Rubio….the Legacy card is a legit card to play with Nash…and if i’m not mistaken Nash’ ex was from Paraguay, Spanish speaking…a reach? yes, but if he can help transition Rubio into the NBA by mentoring him, i’d say this changes the plane of the franchise, sending it on a more positive track, because i’m this close to being ok with a Glen Taylor back room contraction wink wink deal, the night after night gutt punches are taking a toll.
I’m not holding my breath for anything though.
Loisaidabasketballclub.blogspot.com
Twitter: @loisaidabbclub
by beatsandpeasnyc on Feb 12, 2011 11:38 AM CST reply actions
Another thing Nash would do
is be a leader of the offense. This team desperately needs someone on the court who can take control, at all times, not just occasionally.
Joey Crawford's crews always stand out
I don’t think they were necessarily biased last night but they were really inconsistent and downright bad for much of the game. At what point I think I disagreed with 5 or 6 block/charge calls in a row for both teams. The Pekovic travel call late was particularly ridiculous.
Lazar and Wayne played well
Not sure why the emphasis is primarily on Wayne’s play.
I had a different take on the outcome. Sure we lost the game. But the last couple of games have shown that, when given playing time, the deep benchers have held up pretty damn well.
If I was to commend Kahn for the Wayne pick, and the Kahn-Kurt-Tony “partnership” for Lazar pick, it would be based upon selecting character guys with a strong work ethic. Wayne and Lazar have remained ready to come off the bench even when not getting playing time for weeks.
Pek stood out last night too. Last night, against a taller front line, Pek held his own. There was no drop off from Darko in that game.
Breaking down cognitive dissonance and group think since gasoline was cheap.
Yep.
For better or worse, I thirnk you’re right. They picked character over talent in the draft (Laser, Wes, Flynn, WEllington), and in free agency/trades (Tolliver/Luke/Webster). They’ve taken a chance on Beas and Darko, and ironically the talent has been about as expected, with no apparent character problems (other than Darko’s odd petulance).
I even think that was their mandate from upper management—but when the wins have yet to materialize, and the team is in danger of alienating not only the remaining fans but also Love and Rubio, their next gambit has to be a very talented player with a slightly dodgy reputation.
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Dodgy, why?
Because that is driving availability? OR because that is what is missing on the team.
High character, long athletic, advanced stats tastic players from winning programs with nice smiles would be the best.
Who can spot that player before the rest of the pack?
That’s who Glen should get to run the team.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 4:38 PM CST up reply actions
They can barely afford
to pay for an above-average-but-flawed starter. I’m certain they won’t pay up for a great guy who is a great player, even if one were to become available (which is highly unlikely).
Kevin Love is not the problem.
Ellington has done this before...
Last year, he was terrible in November-December and then decent from January – March. I thought at the time it was just the adjustment to the NBA. But with the same pattern this year, you have to wonder if it’s just a weird anomaly, or if there’s some reason why he sucks for the first two months, before playing like a decent NBA rotation player.
to be fair...
last year, yes he had a rough start as do most rookies (especially later picks). But this year isn’t the same, he battled nagging injuries over the summer and wasn’t really given playing time until the start of the new year, and for being benched that long he sure came out of the gates hard…
I watch this team, and i care so much, simply because i can’t not. It’s just a part of who i am..
And another thing...
Since SnP mentioned waiting for the popcorn machine GameFlow… why hasn’t some mainstream sports site been clued in to the wonder that is the gameflow visualization? I mean, shouldn’t we be able to go to ESPN or NBA.com (or sbn.com?) and see these things in real time by now?
Do you want a tissue?
You sure do like to put the most negative spin on this team dont you? (SNP)
Maybe you think 1 game where hayward and Ellington stepped up and had nice games in the absence of 4 top guys is enough to say they are equals of Flynn and Johnson, but its not. Its more crybaby spin aimed at forwarding your misguided hatred for Kahmbis.
I dont know what people expected out of this team, but if it was significantly more than we are getting you were foolish. We are still the youngest team in the NBA, with a roster which was essentially brand new to each other at the beginning of the season. Weve shown sparks, hung in there with tough teams, and beaten most of the bad teams. Within the last week we won back to back road games against playoff calibur teams.
I would have liked to see Wes back in the game last night, but theres no guarantee it has a positive impact. I can understand rambis rolling with lazar and ellington, seeing what they can do after they helped us be in the game in the first place. These are the types of things that strengthen teams overall. Go tell the spurs what a sin it is for players drafted low to come in and contribute above higher drafted players. What an indictment it is against their front office and coaching staff.
What you need is some sense of reality. Did you want to see improvement, or did you expect to see a playoff team? Its not even the all star break, one of our guys is going, and we just pulled out a couple wins we wouldnt have earlier in the season.
What happens when this team has a bit more time to come together and adds talent (pick and Rubio)? Same coach, same GM. Do you back track and say maybe you were wrong? maybe you jumped the gun? maybe you were being a baby? God no. You will continue to pronounce you were right, they were wrong, and your way was better. They got lucky, shouldnt have taken so long, you are smarter.
Go follow another team you can be proud of.
by Rashoismydad on Feb 12, 2011 1:51 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
"What you need is some sense of reality."
Current record: 13-40
Record on this date last year: 13-40
Winning percentage by month this year:
Oct/Nov: .235
Dec: .250
Jan: .214
Feb: .333
Winning percentage by month last year:
Oct/Nov: .118
Dec: .313
Jan: .250
Feb: .250
This isn't really illustrative
I’ve called Nate out on this every time he has made the claim that this years team and last years team are comparable. Yes the records are the same but, no the team’s aren’t comparable. You’re quantitatively oriented. It is really hard to claim that a team getting outscored by 5.5 points/100 possessions is as bad as a team getting outscored by 9.9points/100 possessions.
You have a point
But the fact that we have yet to outperform (in wins and losses) a year that we’ve been told to ignore as a “business” year depresses me.
Do you have data on the point differential by month? I’ve been unhappy with the lack of progress by month in the winning percentage.
by Madison Dan on Feb 12, 2011 4:02 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
The only place I can get to it reliably is from
Hoopsstats which is a site I tend to discourage people from using as its cludgy.
The second drop down from the left has the split data.
Roughly, the per game data is something like
November -10/g
December -3.2/g
January – -2.5/g
February – 6.2/g
Thanks
That’ll be a fun site to look through.
by Madison Dan on Feb 12, 2011 5:29 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Fet 2011 .333
High point of the last 2 years?
Got to finish out the month. Then the year.
I think that is possible, given the schedule.
In fact, that is what I expected at the beginning of the year.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 4:41 PM CST up reply actions
Ugghh
Nate didn’t make the claim that Ellington and Johnson are comparable from last night’s game. He linked to their entire seasons and voila! Ellington and Johnson have had near identical seasons in the minutes they have played this year.
And those minutes
are the dame.
End of story.
Why play the games, get a abacus.
by WinTheLottery on Feb 12, 2011 4:42 PM CST up reply actions
“Once again, the Wolves played without Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Darko Milicic, and Luke Ridnour. Once again, the Wolves looked exactly like the Wolves without Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Darko Milicic, and Luke Ridnour”
What did you expect from a pretty bad team missing FOUR potential starters/big time rotation players? Did you think they would come in and crush a potential playoff team? SnP is a good writer but I don’t know how people that follow this blog can take your constant negativity through every single situation. I understand the Wolves have gone through tough times and its tough to be optimistic but I’ve never seen a sport blogger so down about EVERYTHING about a team.
Last week If you would have told me...
That we were going on a 3 game road trip, I would expect at least 2 losses
If 2 of those teams have a good chance of being in the playoffs, I would expect 3 losses
If you told me that we would be without 3 starters I would expect 3 losses
If you told me that our Defense would be relied on to make big stops in a game I would laugh
If you told me Wayne Ellington would be a go to player in a game I would laugh
If you told me that we would be wearing the black jerseys I would be optimistic, and expect 1 win.
However, we got 2 wins (1 a blowout over a playoff team) and were pretty competitive in the third game. We had a freaking road winning streak! The first since whatever last decade was called! Let’s celebrate and hope the starters get back and enjoy watching Pek do his thing and whatever Johnny tries to do.
by running with Twolves (and scissors) on Feb 12, 2011 3:12 PM CST reply actions
Simple solution
Kahn just needs to trade for the two guards he passed on in the 2009. Imagine Curry and Jennings versus WTF!
Or....
Kahn could conduct a public auction of all of his first round draft picks so we could gage the current market value of that bunch. Anyone willing to speculate? I’m thinking at least a late second round pick in the 2065 draft.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Canis Hoopus
Related FanShots on Canis Hoopus
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- The Orlando Magic finally part ways with both Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith
- Mike D’Antoni breaks silence on New York Knicks exit: ‘An obstacle had to be removed’
- Adam Morrison looks great, everyone
- Create-a-Caption: Tim Duncan puts some stank on it
- LeBron James won’t even give Lance Stephenson half a bar
